Despite criticism, WhatsApp is still adjusting the user conditions for users outside Europe, according to a Friday blogpost. Users must agree, otherwise they can no longer use the app.
With the adjustment, user information would from now on be shared with parent company Facebook.
Confusion arose among users about the new conditions. According to the company, more time was needed to explain data usage. It was therefore decided to move to May 15 the adjustment that would take effect on February 8 move.
WhatsApp acknowledges in the blog post that it did not properly address the situation last month. That is why the messaging service is taking a number of measures. In the coming weeks, WhatsApp will be getting a banner with more information “to try and address the concerns we hear”.
Yet postponement does not come with cancellation, as now appears. “Ultimately, we will remind people to view and accept these updates so that they can continue to use WhatsApp,” the company writes.
Many users switched to alternatives
After it became clear that the messaging service wanted to adjust the conditions, many users decided to switch to alternatives. WhatsApp says it understands that “some people might check out what other apps have to offer.”
The company does give people a warning. “We’ve seen some of our competitors claim they can’t see people’s messages. But if an app doesn’t provide end-to-end encryption, by default it means they can read your messages,” WhatsApp said.
The new user conditions do not apply to the European Union, because WhatsApp is not allowed to share user information with Facebook here due to the European privacy regulation AVG.
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